Monday, September 6, 2010

This article is specifically aimed at video producers who are interested in getting the most out of their streaming video productions in terms of video and audio quality. It mainly involves the best working practices for ensuring that your streaming video wrestles well with that dastardly beast, the "compression monster", which wants to turn all your pristine video to digital mush.

I came from a background in professional video and media production in Perth, Western Australia, shooting TV commercials, independent film, corporate video, and much much more. With the advent of the internet, I became excited about the possibility of using it as a way of delivering quality streaming video advertising for businesses both in Perth and around the world. So I founded my current business, ONLINE AURA, and went into developing video specifically tailored for streaming. The problem was, although I was familiar with the theory of video compression, the most I'd ever come up against this beast was at the level of VHS or DVD production, where it occasionally wrangled but never inflicted serious damage upon me. The reality of video streaming compression was a huge adjustment however, as I watched pin sharp images shredded into digital mud before my eyes, and heard glorious soaring music turned into a horrific sequence of farts and dying bumblebees.

Over the course of time, through experience of testing and producing many streaming videos for local clients, I learnt the best practices and techniques for shooting and editing streaming video. I won't say I've tamed the compression monster, because he still lurks over my shoulder on every shoot, but I will say that I've learnt how to keep him under control and make it through the video compression process with just a few scratches here and there. So this articles includes a number of tips and guides to help you battle this beast in your next streaming video production.

SHOOTING

1. Let there be Light - I'll start with the most obvious and what can be considered as one of the most crucial aspects in producing quality video streaming. I know there's a lot of things written about this recommending strongly-lit flat lighting (i.e - no shadows). The theory being that reducing contrast in your image means that it will compress more efficiently and you'll end up with a higher quality streaming image. This isn't quite right, as the human perception of "sharpness" relies on contrast differences, and even though a higher contrast image may in mathematical terms be less well compressed at a pixel by pixel level, it will create the illusion of being sharper to the viewer. Basically the rule for best quality is to provide a smooth ratio of contrast, and to favor large soft sources that don't over light what you're trying to shoot. Blasting light directly from your camera position over the entire scene is not going to produce favorable results in terms of streaming video quality. The best results come from soft directional sources, but there's also room for backlighting and other creative approaches.

You have to make allowances for the eventual compression, but that generally means keeping your image contrast within an acceptable ratio. Low light is obviously a problem, and night shooting can be difficult. Any grain is going to play havoc and awake the old compression monster, who will hungrily eat up every little vibrating pixel. You can use grain removing plug-ins, but they can have the effect of softening your image and will compress sometimes even worse. Crushing your black levels entirely can sometimes help, and de-saturating your image and adjusting midtones can also be useful. If you have to shoot in low-light on the street, try not too using the gain controls on your camera, and instead go for a low shutter (if your camera has it). Lower shutter speeds will generally compress better. For interview subjects in the studio, I generally use a soft key and a bit of a kicker or backlight, with just a little bit of frontal fill. For video compression I make sure the background is relatively static and defocused. Using green screen and replacing the background with a blurred still image or slowly moving blurred background works well, and keeping background colors muted helps compression.

2. Camera movement - Obviously a lot of fast camera movement is going to require higher rates of compression for streaming video. But different types of movement also have different effects. A smooth dolly shot will actually compress reasonably well but, interestingly enough, the same move-in or out using a zoom instead will not compress well, and generally zooms are to be avoided if possible. Hand-held images will tend to suffer greatly, unless they are stabilized later using a software plug-in such as Steadymove. Steadicam shots can work reasonably well if done well. Unfortunately most steadicam shots contain a bit of 'float' which, although barely perceptible to the average viewer, will not compress as well as a genuine dolly or track shot. Locked off shots will obviously compress best, though it is dependant on what's in front of the camera!

3. Motion in front - Certain things compress well, while certain other things compress poorly. Water and waves look beautiful and crystalline on DVD, but in the streaming video world they fall to pieces. They carry took much randomly moving fine detail. The same with leaves blowing on a tree in the wind. If you're shooting an interview or spot with someone in front of a tree with fine leaves on a windy day, you should consider moving them to take in a background with less motion. Obviously you want to have things moving in your camera frame to provide interest (that's the whole point of having video over a slide show), but think about how much of the frame is moving. If you can isolate your moving subject with a longer lens and have the background blur out, that will compress better and also appear sharper to your viewer. Because of the small screen size, when shooting people move in a bit tighter. Close ups can be most effective.

4. VBR and the art of "compression accounting" - You should know that using Variable Bit Rate for your video will provide a significant quality boost for most videos over standard CBR (constant bit rate). But to maximize the quality of your streaming video you may need to take advantage of this variable bit rate capacity by doing what I refer to as compression accounting.

What's that? Imagine I have a budget of $250 per day for a month to buy whatever goodies I want. In a strict CBR world I get $250 at the start of the first day, and, regardless of whether I spent the whole lot or not, it would go back to zero at the end. The second day I'd get $250 again and so on. So, in CBR world, I may as well spend all of my $250, because there's no saving for the next day. If I see a $800 guitar in the window, I can't buy it, because I'll never have that much money, and I have to settle for a poorer quality $200 one instead. In VBR world however, there is saving. If I don't spend my $250 on the first day, and instead spend $150, that means I can spend the $100 I saved some other time. In effect, I can restrict my spending in the present so I can buy that $800 guitar in the future with the money I saved. If you've uncovered the meaning in my torturous analogy, what this means is this - when shooting in VBR mode I've got an idea of how many data bits I've got to play with and I can spread them out accordingly. Knowing that I want to shoot something with a lot of camera movement, like a dynamic steadicam shot through a crowd of moving people, I know that I should balance that out with a couple of locked off shots with little or no movement. It's the equivalent of spending $800 on that guitar (the steadicam shot), by scrimping on other days (i.e. shooting the lock-offs). When it comes to encoding, the encoder will look at the video on the first pass, note the amount of movement in each shot and work out an average level of compression for each shot given the total average it has to play with. The steadicam shot might take 800kbps while the lock-off shots only take 80-100kbps. So the trick is balancing out the number of complex and simple shots to take best advantage of VBR compression. With any luck you'll have a good balance and end up with much better use of compression to give you a better quality streaming video.

5. Shoot progressive - Shooting for streaming video means that you're producing for a computer screen, which is typically an LCD. The way computer process moving images is fundamentally different from your typical TV. I could write three thousand words about the technical differences, but basically the conclusion is that progressive scanned or de-interlaced video perfectly fits the way a computer monitor displays these images. Interlaced video (which contains fields) displays motion perfectly well on televisions, but will traditionally not encode motion well with streaming video, creating motion artifacts and occasional streaking effects. The best option is to shoot with a camera that delivers images in progressive scan mode. While there are high-end professional cameras, most consumer models won't. However the prosumer models produced by Canon, namely the XL-1, XL-2 and XM2, all feature a 'frame' mode that make these cameras adapt well to streaming video. Failing that, videos should be de-interlaced either at the editing stage using software (e.g Premiere Pro, Avid), or at the encoding stage. Quality encoders such as Canopus procoder typically offer de-interlaced delivery.

EDITING and FINISHING

1. Classical cuts - The compression factor of streaming video means that a classical shooting style produces better results than MTV style camerawork. And the same thing applies to editing. Although editing still has to be pretty snappy to fit within the time format, there aren't the fancy flash frames and transitions you would normally favor when shooting for TV or DVD delivery. One of the great sacrifices I actually felt in the early days of producing streaming video advertisements was when I had to lose the simple cross-dissolve. Cross-dissolves are one of the most commonly used transitions between shots and before I started to produce streaming video for the web I used them frequently. Unfortunately cross-dissolves don't compress well, and if you watch streaming videos carefully you will notice during the dissolve from one shot to the next there are a lot of artifacts - a sure sign that the transition effect is gobbling up valuable compression dollars! A straight cut is simply the most efficient way to go, and if you take a look at almost all the streaming video examples featured on my website, you'll see that every single transition is a straight cut. That might seem limiting, but after a while of doing videos like that, you'll learn to use that method of editing, and strangely enough it'll also help you construct sequences better. It may seem strange to some with high-end video editing software with literally hundreds of available transitions, but you'll actually begin to appreciate the art of editing more when you're able to create a rhythm and flow from straight cutting.

2. Grade your image for LCD and compression - Another difference between standard TVs and computer LCDs are the way they process colour. When grading for streaming video delivery you have quite a bit of latitude for "souping-up" the colour, as they will typically display more colour saturation that most televisions. Grading images is another key to making sure your final streaming video looks its best online. Beefing up contrast using levels filters or unsharp mask filters is another way of creating the perception of a sharper video image, and counteracts both the softening effect of LCD displays as well as the somewhat washed out effect produced by some encoders during the video compression process. Remember there are trade-offs to overdoing it with the colour though - it takes more compression to process those saturated colours. If you're after maximium sharpness at low bit-rates, you should actually consider de-saturating the colour or going all the way and having it in B&W or monochrome.

3. Different aspects - One thing you may actually take advantage of creatively as a producer of streaming videos is that you can create streaming videos with virtually any aspect ratio you desire. From ultra-widescreen to vertical skyscraper formats, you're not limited by the aspect ratio of your TV or camera. This has partly to do with the fact that, when you're producing video streaming ads, your screen size or dimensions are smaller that your originally captured image. So all kinds of cropping effects can take place. This can be useful also when producing videos that are part of banners, alongside other graphics. If your editing software supports different aspect ratios, experiment with this, or if it doesn't, you can always crop later in an encoding program. You may even choose to edit in a compositing program like Adobe After Effects, which permits you any screen size and aspect ratio you desire.

4. Different speeds - One thing that can compress well is slow motion. The difference between successive frames is usually small and so it compresses reasonably well. I use a special frame-blender to produce very smooth slow motion video effects and reduce the choppiness of video slow motion. Another thing I end up doing sometimes in regard to motion is using quick short ramps (fast motion) within shots. This can eat up data, as you end of with a lot of difference between successive frames, but it does give videos plenty of energy, and if the ramp is quick the damage can be minimal. Adding a keyframed blur within the ramp can work to minimize this if you're doing a whip-pan move as well.

4. Audio - Audio quality is just as important as video. If you skimp on audio, it'll bring down the whole level of your production. If you're employing voice-over, make sure your talent speaks clearly and try and EQ them tight, which sometimes means backing off bass frequencies and creating a punchy middle. Music is also very important. For those who have to use generic or stock music, try and favor simple arrangements and back off the cheese factor. Arrangements with short punchy sounds, like percussive instruments, compress better than long dense sounds, like a string orchestra. It all depends on how you encode this of course. In the early days, in order to maximize the video bit rate, I'd use very low audio rates. Using windows media encoding, I'd use their "voice codec" at 20kbps mono. If your mix of voice and music is sharp and punchy, it'd hold up reasonably well, as long as the music didn't feature a lot of dense sustained notes. As more people have gotten faster connections, I've upped the bit rate and now tend to use 32kbps stereo (albeit at a lower sample rate) or sometimes higher. A good mono sound is preferable to a stereo sound that's breaking up due to compression, so be careful. The one great thing about using Windows media, as opposed to Flash, is that you can produce good quality audio at very low bit-rates, because the windows audio codec is remarkably good and far superior to mp3. If you have to encode in Flash, try and see what codec is being used for your audio. The best mp3 codec widely in use is the LAME codec.

5. Delivery Formats - When I started, there were really 3 major formats for streaming that I felt were an option: Windows media, Realplayer and Quicktime. A lot of testing went into it, and basically it came down between Windows media and Realplayer. At the time I felt Realplayer offered slightly better quality and better colour saturation, though because of the widespread use of windows media player (thanks to the monopolizing of Gates' Microsoft), Windows media was my preferred delivery format. For me, Real and Quicktime have basically fallen off the radar in terms of streaming video. Now it's down to two options - Windows media and Flash 8. Flash was never really efficient enough before to offer a true alternative to the others, but with the widespread acceptance of the Flash format for video and the improvement of Flash video with the new On2 codec, it is a real option. The ease in which it is able to integrate into webpages, as well as Flash-created files, makes it very tempting. It still doesn't offer the overall efficiency of Windows, which at a compression level for video and audio still wins out. You'll have to choose yourself what's best for your streaming video delivery format.

Also, when I started, I was doing exclusively real streaming, that is, intelligent multi-bitrate streaming using a Windows streaming server. I released however that, if I wanted to produce very high quality content at reasonable bit rates, then streaming wasn't quite going to do it for me. That's why progressive download, with its 2-pass VBR, basically won me over as a way of delivering short (typically 2minutes or less) video advertisements online. I'll use intelligent streaming for other things which require low bit-rates, such as audio and still sequences, but that's about all.

I hope this has given you a few ideas about best working practices for producing streaming videos, whether they be for online advertising, video blogs or whatever. Video streaming carries with it a particular set of work practices that set it apart from the production demands of other media, like DVD. Having an idea of those factors before you go into a streaming video production will hold you in good stead, and help you to produce a much better end result.

This is a system based on HTTP and incorporates media streaming and a communications protocol. It was first implemented by the Apple Corporation when they established their QuickTime X and iPhone software systems.

The way the live streaming system operates is to convert the data stream into a number of small HTTP based files. Each file is then downloaded, which in turn loads one small segment of the data stream. As soon as the stream is played, the client has the option of selecting a particular stream from a variety of alternative streams containing the same data but which has been encoded at different data rates. In this way, the streaming session is able to adapt itself to the prevailing rate of data transmission. When the streaming session begins, the system downloads a playlist which contains the data from the various sub-streams that are available.

Since the requests for data require only standard HTTP transactions, then HTTP Live Streaming is able to traverse any firewall or proxy server which themselves allow standard HTTP traffic to travel through.

Terms

HTTP - Also known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is an application-level protocol. There are two principal versions, viz. HTTP/1.0 which uses a separate connection for each document, and HTTP/1.1 that is able to reuse the same connection in order to download, for example, images of the previous page. As a result, HTTP/1.1 could be faster of the two versions since time is taken to set up such connections.

HTTP is a request/response standard used in client-server computing. The client is an application, such as a web browser, on the computer that is used by an end-user. On the other hand, the server is an application running on the computer hosting the web site. The client submits HTTP requests.

Protocol - With reference to computing, the term protocol refers to a series of rules which are applied to computers in order that they are able to communicate with each other when transmitting across a network. It is, in fact, a standard that maintains or brings about firstly the connection, then the communication and finally the transfer of data between computers. Protocols may apply to hardware, or software, or even a combination of the two. In a sense, a protocol specifies how a hardware connection performs.

Streaming Media - This refers to multimedia that are continually received by, and also presented to, the user of the data. At the same time, it is being delivered to the user by a provider of streaming data. The term streaming media refers to the method of delivery of the medium rather than to the nature of the medium itself. It is inferred that the distribution is over telecommunications networks since nearly all of the other delivery systems are either specifically streaming, such as radio and television, or they are characterised as non-streaming, such as books, video cassettes, and audio CDs. Internet television is an excellent example of what may be designated as a commonly streamed media.

Multimedia - It refers to the nature of the media used and content required that uses a combination of different forms of content. Media, in its broadest sense, utilises only established forms of material which may be either printed or hand-produced. On the other hand, Multimedia makes use of a combination of text, audio, motionless images, animation, video, and interactivity forms of content.

A streaming video website continuously delivers and publishes video and associated audio content on the webpage. The end user is able to view the media contents in real time without having to download the media file. Streaming video refers to the mechanism of the distribution of medium and not the media itself.

Streaming videos on computers, as a concept had emerged around 1970s. However, due to inadequate technical capabilities and high cost of resources the advancements were a little staggered. Today, with techniques like true streaming and HTTP streaming, more websites are taking advantage of video streaming. When designing a streaming video website, one needs to understand that the concept of having streaming videos basically lies on two factors - video file format and the streaming technique.

'Windows Media', 'Quicktime', 'RealMedia', 'MPEG', 'Flash objects' are some of the file formats that can be used for streaming videos. The choice of a file format is very crucial as the website might cater to a wide spectrum of users across geographies. Thus it is necessary to understand the type of internet bandwidth, hardware and software resources so that all the users are facilitated with the information that your website wants to provide.

Other factor important in video streaming is the streaming method itself. 'Downloading' is the most basic and simple method, where the video file is downloaded to some temporary folder and is then played in the media player installed on that computer. The other method is 'streaming' in which the waiting time is ideally negligible. The video is displayed as and when it gets downloaded. However, certain amount of buffering can take place depending on the speed of the internet connection.

Streaming video is widely used in real time broadcast of live events. This is also referred to as webcast or netcast. Streaming video websites use special types of streaming servers. It is possible to have your own server setup or have it purchased from several providers. You need a robust web server with streaming software installed on it. Some of the video streaming software available includes 'Macromedia Communication Server', 'Apple Quicktime Streaming Server', 'Helix Universal Server', and so on. Apart from these resources, a conversion software is also required that will convert the video file to required format which can be easily published and broadcasted on the internet. 'Final Cut Pro' and 'Adobe Premiere' are some of the widely used conversion tools. Video streaming is also governed by various protocols that bring under consideration technical performance, quality issues, reliability, cost factors, and legal and social issues. Multicast, Peer-to-Peer, IP Multicast, Unicast, User Datagram Protocol, and Real-time Transport Protocol are some of the protocols that are considered when designing a network that supports video streaming.

Video streaming websites need to consider the cost factor before making a decision on having a streaming video broadcast. Make sure that video streaming is absolutely necessary for your business, as having a video streaming website with live broadcast is really a costly affair. The transfer of data, specially multimedia is very expensive and usually charged in terms of gigabytes.

This is a system based on HTTP and incorporates media streaming and a communications protocol. It was first implemented by the Apple Corporation when they established their QuickTime X and iPhone software systems.

The way the live streaming system operates is to convert the data stream into a number of small HTTP based files. Each file is then downloaded, which in turn loads one small segment of the data stream. As soon as the stream is played, the client has the option of selecting a particular stream from a variety of alternative streams containing the same data but which has been encoded at different data rates. In this way, the streaming session is able to adapt itself to the prevailing rate of data transmission. When the streaming session begins, the system downloads a playlist which contains the data from the various sub-streams that are available.

Since the requests for data require only standard HTTP transactions, then HTTP Live Streaming is able to traverse any firewall or proxy server which themselves allow standard HTTP traffic to travel through.

Terms

HTTP - Also known as Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is an application-level protocol. There are two principal versions, viz. HTTP/1.0 which uses a separate connection for each document, and HTTP/1.1 that is able to reuse the same connection in order to download, for example, images of the previous page. As a result, HTTP/1.1 could be faster of the two versions since time is taken to set up such connections.

HTTP is a request/response standard used in client-server computing. The client is an application, such as a web browser, on the computer that is used by an end-user. On the other hand, the server is an application running on the computer hosting the web site. The client submits HTTP requests.

Protocol - With reference to computing, the term protocol refers to a series of rules which are applied to computers in order that they are able to communicate with each other when transmitting across a network. It is, in fact, a standard that maintains or brings about firstly the connection, then the communication and finally the transfer of data between computers. Protocols may apply to hardware, or software, or even a combination of the two. In a sense, a protocol specifies how a hardware connection performs.

Streaming Media - This refers to multimedia that are continually received by, and also presented to, the user of the data. At the same time, it is being delivered to the user by a provider of streaming data. The term streaming media refers to the method of delivery of the medium rather than to the nature of the medium itself. It is inferred that the distribution is over telecommunications networks since nearly all of the other delivery systems are either specifically streaming, such as radio and television, or they are characterised as non-streaming, such as books, video cassettes, and audio CDs. Internet television is an excellent example of what may be designated as a commonly streamed media.

Multimedia - It refers to the nature of the media used and content required that uses a combination of different forms of content. Media, in its broadest sense, utilises only established forms of material which may be either printed or hand-produced. On the other hand, Multimedia makes use of a combination of text, audio, motionless images, animation, video, and interactivity forms of content.

This article is a simple introduction to Streaming Audio and how it can be added to your website or CD ROM without expensive software, hardware or dedicated streaming web hosting.

Lets start at the beginning.

What is Streaming?

Streamed audio, be it MP3 or any other types of audio you may want to stream enables you to start listening to audio long before the file has downloaded completely. It's a bit like reading a letter while someone is still writing it!

What are the advantages of Streaming Audio?

There are several advantages to streaming. Firstly, your visitor will be able to listen to your audio very quickly. This is important, as we all know how impatient web surfers are. Visitors to your site want to be able to listen to your audio as soon as possible.

Let's look at what happens when a visitor arrives at your web site and wants to listen to an MP3 audio that isn't set up to stream.

In a non-streaming set up the link on your web site points directly to the audio file on the server. When the link is clicked, a window will appear asking where the file is to be saved, and once that's been decided, the download commences. Audio files tend to be large so the chances are it's going to take some time to download, especially if the visitor is using a slow Internet connection. The end result is that if your visitor waits around long enough for the download to finish - all well and good, but the downside is they have a copy of your audio saved on their computer.

This may not be what you want, as it could be your copyrighted material you have given away. Although it is much easier to record streaming audio with readily available software these days, there's no point in making it easier than necessary for people to save your audio, plus they may not want large files saved on their computer.

If you were to set that same file up to stream, and someone clicks on the link, Windows Media Player, Real Audio Player, or which ever player your visitor uses to listen to audio would open, the file would start streaming, and within a very short time your visitor would be listening to your audio. NB; The time taken between a visitor clicking on the link and hearing some sound will still depend on their Internet connection speed but it will be much quicker than a non-streamed file.

Is Stream Audio Difficult to Set Up?

No! It's very easy, it just involves a simple text file that contains a link pointing to the MP3 you want to stream. The file is then saved with an '.m3u' extension. (without the quotation marks). In other words this little m3u text file acts as a 'go between' to link, the link on your website, to the audio file to be listen to. All the support for streaming is already built into your visitor's computer.

How do I Set Up Audio Streaming?

Here is how you configure your files. I will assume you know how to make an HTML link or have a WYSIWYG software program to allow you to create one, although the easiest way is to use Notepad.

Imagine your audio file is called 'reggae.mp3' and it's in a folder called 'mp3s' it's saved in a website folder called 'website' and it's on the 'C' drive. The file path would look like this C:website/mp3s/reggae.mp3 and this file has been uploaded to your web site in the normal way.

Now we have to create the m3u file (our 'go between') to link reggae.mp3 to the link on your website. To create this file, open notepad, and type in your full web address (URL) file path, and name of your mp3 file. In our example it would look like this:

http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.mp3

Now save the file as C:websitemp3sreggae.m3u (make sure it's saved with the.m3u extension) and upload to your web site.

The next thing to do is to add the link on your web page that will point to the m3u file (our 'go between' file) not the mp3 file. In our case it will be http://www.website.net/mp3s/reggae.m3u

Now when someone clicks on your link, the m3u file comes into action, the default player opens and your mp3 starts to stream.

Can I Set Up More than one Audio File to Stream?

If you have more than one MP3 you want to steam, create another 'm3u' notepad file for each MP3 you have, upload the files to your site and point your link to the new 'm3u' file.

The content for streaming videos may be prerecorded or live. While most of the companies that provide live streaming videos do so for a subscription fee, there are also other companies that stream videos for free. Though some companies require installation of their proprietary video players, most streaming videos are supported by and can be played with most of the popular media/video players in the market.

Many companies take advantage of live video streaming technology. One such use is for showing live newscasts on the Internet. Many television networks are slowly offering more and more live shows in streaming video format. There are also companies that offer live videos of road traffic, and there those that offer live videos taken from streets from different countries in the world. Satellite or aeronautical companies also offer live streaming videos of the Earth as seen from space or videos taken by space exploration vehicles on a different planet.

The sports business also sees the advantage of streaming technology. Major sports leagues are offering live webcasts of games through their websites. This service, though, is not free and is only available through subscription. Other common contents for live streaming videos are plays and music concerts.

One of the growing uses for live streaming videos is video conferencing. Internet users who have access to messaging or chat programs and a web camera are able to take advantage of this feature. Friends and relatives, thousands of miles apart from each other, are able to not only talk but also see each other in real-time as they converse.

The main draw to streaming videos is their ability to deliver live content on demand. With just an initial delay of a few seconds allocated for buffering data, depending on the Internet connection and bandwidth, live video streams are delivered to the user. As it gains popularity with Internet users, it is no wonder that more and more media companies are offering live video streams.

The Internet provides users many ways to access video files online. The traditional method involves downloading a video file just like a user would with a regular document or a picture file. The user must wait for the download to finish, then open and view the video. Streaming videos, however, let users view a video as it is being downloaded from the Internet.

Streaming video technology is useful for real-time and on-demand requests. A common use for streaming video is for broadcasting news over the Internet. Some of the bigger news networks even provide live news video streaming on their websites. Another common use for streaming videos is for viewing movie clips. Many movie studios provide previews or trailers of their upcoming film features through streaming video clips. Also from the entertainment business, music labels use this technology to stream music videos for the public.

With the sudden emergence of portable web-cameras, one of the growing uses for streaming videos is for video conferencing. Computer chat programs often come with video conferencing functions that let chatters see the person they are chatting with. This feature not only allows Internet users to hear the voices of their friends or relatives, but it also lets them see each other in real time. Similarly, entrepreneurs use this function to conduct business meetings, conferences, or even corporate training over the Internet.

Streaming videos are also used in the field of education. Live or pre-recorded lectures are available from many university and educational websites. This allows students to view and listen to lectures over and over again.

There are a lot of other uses for streaming videos. Some websites provide real-time views of main roads. This service is particularly helpful to motorists who want to avoid vehicular traffic.

For all the advantages of streaming videos, there are also limitations and disadvantages. For videos to be delivered quickly to a user's desktop for viewing, two things have to be considered: the size of the video and the Internet bandwidth available to the user. Compressing videos can normally sacrifice their quality, and a small bandwidth normally results in choppy video playback. Another drawback to the availability of streaming videos is the increase in network or Internet traffic.

There are several different formats available when it comes to Streaming Video. The idea of streaming video on the internet has become more popular in the last few years and more and more people are becoming familiar with the concept of streaming video. Up until this time, video was streamed in other ways but there was little need to differentiate between the methods of transfer due to a lack of interest and use.

What is streaming? Streaming is the way in which a video is sent. It is sent between the supplier and the recipient in a real time manner. In other words, the data is sent on a constant basis so the consumer is able to pick it up or open it at their leisure. Since the internet never closes, it makes it an easy task to accomplish.

There are a number of ways to capture and/or record streaming video on the internet. Loading a software program that would allow you to record the streaming video of your choice over the internet is one of the easiest avenues to take. Some videos will have the option to download the stream. If a hyperlink for the streaming video is offered, you have the option of embedding, or posting the link into your site or blog in order to make it accessible. Adding videos to blogging sites is becoming increasingly popular.

The internet is not the only avenue through which streaming video is available. One of the first venues to offer streaming video was the television. Just turn on your t.v. and you will find channels and stations that are constantly offering streaming video, just waiting for it to be picked up by the consumers. When it comes to capturing this particular type of streaming video, many people already have the necessary tools. A simple video cassette recorder will allow the individual to record the video stream from their t.v. and capture it onto the video cassette. With the progression of technology and the invention of the DVD player, it became possible for the individual consumer to capture the video and burn it onto a disc.

Capturing streaming video has become important to many people because it provides one with the ability to not only transfer and/or save information but also share ideas and experiences with others.

In this article, we will examine two of the most commonly used formats for video streaming, Real media and Flash.

Real Media video streaming

Real Media was one of the first serious video streaming formats. When it was first introduced, it was widely heralded as one of the best platforms for streaming, however, it has been challenged in recent years by rivals from other software companies.

One of the main objections many people have towards Real is that it requires users to download Real Player software. Although this is free, users are strongly encouraged to purchase the full version and this has led to many people shunning it in favour of other, more commonly used platforms.

From a technical point of view, the video images in Real Player tend to be less sharp than other formats. Moving images are reasonably well represented, however, the finer detail is often lost.

These factors have meant that many users and developers have grown disillusioned with Real and its future as a video streaming platform looks in doubt.

Flash video streaming

Flash is one of the major contenders in the world of video streaming, and is the format most commonly favoured by developers. As it is one of the most common plug-ins, it is one of the most accessible formats, and as such, it is one of the most popular and widely used.

Praised for its wide range of features, flash video streaming allows you to offer the most advanced media streaming available. As the most well-supported, cross-platform player, Flash enables interactive video and animations and advanced integration with web pages.

On the downside, Flash is expensive and can be a complex platform to work with. In order to get the most from it, developers will have to use and get to grips with the Adobe Flash authoring program.

Flash comes in two forms:.swf is the standard type of file which is used in web pages, and .flv is a special format that can be called from within swf files.

Streaming Video Using Flash

As with most video streaming formats, Flash provides two different ways to deliver video from a web page.

Streaming

In order to stream Flash video, you will need to use a special type of server application called Flash Media Server (FMS). This is the most advanced solution and is suitable for those looking for the most bespoke and impressive video displays.

Progressive Download

Progressive download is the most commonly used and simple method of video streaming, requiring only a standard web hosting service. Despite its limitations, and the fact that it is not 'true' streaming, it is a more than adequate substitute for most people.

The nature of TV is changing and it is now possible to stream just about any movie that has been made straight to your TV. From silent films to the latest releases, streaming movies is now easier than ever before.

If you're not familiar with the term "streaming", basically it means that a movie that is being sent to you via the internet but the device you are watching it on, isn't saving the movie to memory or to a hard drive. But this is ok, because there is no reason to save it. It will be available any time you decide you want to watch it again.

If you want to stream movies to your TV you are going to have to do one of two things. You can either connect your laptop to your TV. I have done this and it works great but there are some issues with this. Mainly there is no remote control, and that is a huge problem, and it also ties up your computer.

What I would recommend for streaming movies is a Roku streaming box. I found this little device on Amazon and it works great. It costs about $60. This box connects to your TV via HDMI or RCA cables. If you have a wireless internet in your home, the Roku box will pick up the signal and stream movies to your TV wirelessly. If you don't have a wireless network in your home, don't worry. You can plug the internet straight into the Roku box.

Once you have this device you can use the remote and click on Hulu. This will allow you to stream a lot of movies that are a bit older but there is also a wide selection of lesser known films that are very good. Also, it has a great selection of documentaries to include National Geographic and Nova programs.

To stream movies that are more recent you are going to need a subscription to Netflix. This will allow you to watch 1,000's of newer movies instantly. You won't get to stream the latest releases but their library is very large for "instant streaming" and it is increasing constantly. We pay about $7 per month for this service.

If you would like to watch the latest movies, the ones that are still in the video store, use your Roku streaming device and click on "Amazon on Demand." This will allow you to select from a list of the latest movies. It costs about $5 per movie and you get to view it as often as you like for 48 hours.

This is a real nice feature because you don't have to pick up or return the movies. This also eliminates any possibility of late fees.

We bought our Roku device about 2 weeks ago and we have used it non-stop without any problems and we absolutely love it. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

One day soon the thought of obtaining your TV over commonplace cable or employing an antenna are greeted abundant constant manner as hand laundry your garments or using a typewriter; with quizzical stares. positive you may do it, however why would you wish to? At this year's client Electronics Show in Las Vegas makers were busy showing off the newest and greatest in video equipment and content delivery systems. there have been many corporations showing off IPTV, among them such heavyweights as Motorola.

Weather you recognize it or not many of us are using the net to induce their TV already. several thousands of cable TV customers are totally unaware that they're, in fact, using IPTV. rather than a good vary of frequencies being sent to their cable box, every carrying a special channel, and having the cable box do the tuning, several trendy cable boxes work somewhat differently. once you press a button on your remote management to request a channel or video on demand program, a call for participation is shipped to the cable company's head finish. the acceptable program is then streamed using IP to the cable box, where it's decoded and passed on to your TV.

To the viewer it's rather like it's being done the quaint manner, however indeed we have a tendency to're undergoing a paradigm shift within the manner we get out audio / video content. at intervals consequent few years many of us are using their pc as their home's content management system. it'll be networked with different computers within the house and connected to your TV. you will be able to use it an enormous video storage device to time shift and store content, very like you employ your DVR (TiVO) nowadays. once you wish to rent a video, you will merely stream it for immediate viewing or download it to be viewed later. The video store can soon be going the manner of the pay phone; positive you will be able to realize one, however you'll need to essentially look.

Microsoft's new Vista operating system is prepared and looking ahead to this new home entertainment reality. which will be a part of the driving force behind the mainstreaming of streaming thus to talk. As a lot of homes throughout the globe relish faster broadband net connections, and a lot of computers have operating systems able to facilitate simple video streaming, streaming TV and video can become the rule, instead of the exception.

Did you recognize but, that you just will relish several of those same advantages right now? There are several corporations that permit you download movies on a pay per read basis, the same as renting from your native video store. For around $3 - $5 {you will|you'll|you'll be able to} download a movie that you just can look ahead to a collection time amount, sometimes between twenty four -48 hours. several networks are putting their programming on the net thus folks will download it if they did not catch it on regular TV. The catch is that these shows are sometimes delayed between on a daily basis and every week before the network makes them obtainable.

Perhaps a more robust resolution is one in all the unlimited live TV streaming applications that are obtainable. there isn't any waiting. you'll read the shows in real time, rather like if you had cable TV. Most of those live streaming applications have a fantastic array of programming obtainable. Some have over three,000 channels from each corner of the world. this can be a boon to expatriates that desire a style of home. If you've got a broadband affiliation and a pc, you're set. it is also nice for school students and others on a budget. Sports fans, particularly those that relish events that are not well coated within the U.S., like motor sports and soccer, can extremely am passionate about it.

For an inexpensive, just the once fee, sometimes around $40 - $50, you'll watch a vast quantity of live TV on your laptop. It's pretty simple to induce the video kind your pc to your TV, thus you'll watch it there too. because the value of enormous screen LCD pc monitors continues to plummet, you will like better to forego a conventional TV entirely. With the money you save on a couple of months of cable TV, you will be able to develop a 22" widescreen LCD. Live, streaming TV is certainly one thing value checking into. the long run is currently.

Streaming Kompas Tv will be officially launched to the front of an audience Indonesia on Friday (09/09/2011) night. The launching of the television that carries the spirit of "Inspiration Indonesia" marked by performances "Universe Symphony Kingdom". The event was held at the Jakarta Convention Center and broadcast live on JCC Compass TV for three hours, starting at 19:30.

For those of you who can not attend the JCC and have not had time to get home, you can enjoy a live broadcast of this mobile anywhere you are via the live streaming service which can be accessed via the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, or via computers and laptops you.

Founded in 1989, RCTI is the first private national TV station in Indonesia. RCTI has the largest broadcast coverage as compared to other nationwide TV stations, reaching 180 million viewers in 319 cities across Indonesia. Due to our business expansion, we require high caliber, talented, energetic individuals, who value integrity and ethical behavior to fill below position:Head of Purchasing (Code: PUR) - Jakarta

Qualifications
To be a successful in the position, you will be:

Bachelor degree from reputable university

Major in Civil / Architecture Engineering

Have Min. 3 years experiences in the same field

Able to work under pressure

Good communication & negotiation skills

Possess strong interpersonal skills

Have the ability to build and maintain professional networking

Good team player

Administration Support (Code: AS) - JakartaRequirements

Male

Not more than 26 years old

Bachelor degree, any major

Conversant with Mincrosoft Office

Posses high level of attention to detail

Able to work under pressure

Have the ability to worh independently as well as a team

If you are keen to pursue a career in an exciting and growing industry and at the same time work with highly motivated and bonded team, do e-mail your resume to Human Resource Department, PT Rajawali Citra Televisi Indonesia at email address below. State the position code as email subject.